Dominated mainly by IT and the manufacturing industry, the Finnish job market is a thriving environment increasing the numbers of jobs in Finland.
Its high standard of living, thriving and forward-thinking industries, stable economy and safe society, and proper work-life balance make it one of the best countries to work in. Searching for jobs in Finland? Read on.
Finland’s unemployment rate has been fluctuating between 2019 and 2021, going between 6% and 11%. The unemployment rate shows how many jobs are available in the country. May 2020 had Finland’s peak unemployment rate as one of the effects of the coronavirus.
But in August 2021, it reduced to 6.6%. As of October 2021, Finland has an employment rate of 72.3% which is the 16th in the world which is bound to increase by a good margin in 2030.
Asides from being rated as the happiest country in the world, Finland has a low crime and corruption rate but they also have a widespread anti-immigrant sentiment.
An unwillingness to employ immigrants. This has been one of the reasons for the low number of immigrants and also its homogeneous workforce.
With the decreasing workforce population, this sentiment has gradually become a trivial matter as foreigners are being employed as long as they are qualified.
Working conditions
Earlier, there was a mention of the proper balance of work and life in Finland. This is because the Finnish culture believes there is more to life than just work.
The 2019 Work/Life Balance Index ranked Helsinki, Finland as the Best City for work-life balance beating over 40 other attractive cities like Oslo, Toronto, etc. It beat the others in 20 different factors that concern work about society and other institutions.
Finland also has very flexible work hours which are one of the factors that make its Work/Life index very high. These flexible hours allow employees to choose when they want to work and when for half of their contracted working hours.
Finland employees work an average of 40 hours a week with a daily lunch break which can be one or two hours. They also work from 8-5. The good part is they get a 25-day minimum annual leave with 13 bank holidays per year.
Aging Workforce
The major problem that Finland faces is that of an aging workforce. It is estimated that by 2025, the dependent aging population would increase. The aging population of the Finnish workforce is a problem not just for the future, but for now as well. It has also been projected that much of its younger workforce cannot adequately replace the current aging ones.
As a foreigner looking to move to Finland, something you should know is that Finland has a population of 5.5 million. A population of this size already indicates a small workforce.
And within that small workforce, 39% are over 65 years of age. To curb this, the Finnish government has decided to double the number of immigrants per year, especially to keep a lot of government services running.
That’s not all, the Finnish market is a very skilled one with IT and manufacturing as its two biggest industries. If you’re an expert in any of these, you should be considering Finland as your preferred destination.
How can a foreigner get a Job in Finland?
1. Start by learning the language.
The majority of the Finnish population speaks English, so you might be perplexed as to why you need to learn the language. It’s simple, the Finnish people tend to be friendlier when you speak their language. And to increase your chances of getting a job by giving you wider access to the job market.
2. Research
Research on what permits you would require to work in Finland. You can do so by visiting the Finnish Immigration Website
3. Educational Qualification
You need to know if your educational qualifications need recognizing in Finland. Recognition is a process where the government and the bodies in charge of certain professions and industries certify you to practice in Finland.
4. Networking
Build a network. Meet as many people as possible, especially people in your line of work. A survey estimated that 70%-80% of jobs in Finland are not advertised publicly. Improving your professional network would give you the edge. You can meet these people either through their hobbies or even volunteer work. Or better yet, join an association in your industry.
5. Recruitment Agencies
You can also find jobs in Finland with the help of recruitment agencies. While we mentioned how a lot of jobs aren’t advertised to the public, however a lot of companies employ recruitment agencies to find candidates for their vacancies.
6. Work Experience
Get some Finnish work experience. This helps your CV and your chances of getting the job of your dream. You can do this by doing some volunteer work, some paid or unpaid internship, thesis work in a company, or even a summer job.
Common Jobs in Finland for Foreigners.
Foreigners in Finland find it easier to get these jobs/roles. You can attribute it to some of these jobs not having constant contact with the locals or the jobs being highly skilled ones, or the industry is one with a shortage of workforce.
This article highlights 20 of them, doesn’t mean these are all of them. You can go for others that are not on the list.
1. Mobile Developers
2. Project managers
3. UX Designer
4. Civil Engineer
5. Software Engineer
6. Cooks
7. Home-based personal cleaners
8. Nursing associate professionals
9. Health care assistants
10. Shop and sales assistants
11. Child care workers
12. Hardware engineers
13. Accountants
14. Account managers
15. Product managers
16. Data scientist
17. Copywriters
18. QA Engineers
19. Cashiers
20. Web designers
Top Jobs In Finland With Visa Sponsorship
Visa Sponsorship jobs are jobs that are given with a provision of work visa. Companies by providing Visa sponsorship, employ this means as a strategy for adding to their team skillful foreign candidates with the potential of enriching the advancement of their company.
Here we’ve provided a list of top jobs in Finland with Visa Sponsorship. Although there are more to this list, we have provided the top 11. Check out job listing sites like LinkedIn and Indeed if your desired Job is not on the list.
- Sales representative:
- Account manager:
- Engineer:
- Software developers:
- Data Engineer:
- Assistant Manager
- General Scientist
- Associate Director
- Field Service Technician
- Businness Development Analist
- English Teacher
For more on this, read our latest article on Top Jobs in Finland With Visa Sponsorship
Top 5 Websites To Find Finland Jobs For Foreigners.
Now that you have an idea of the common jobs in Finland for foreigners, knowing some websites that would help you find these jobs would help as well.
So here are five of the best websites to find jobs for foreigners in Finland;
- Monster Finland: one of the oldest job websites in Finland. They have a reputation for helping people find opportunities and connecting them with the right companies.
- Jobs in Helsinki: earlier, we talked about how the market in Finland is rather small so companies go International pretty quick. This is an example. While they have grown to have jobs in Finland, the UK, the US, across Europe, and South America, they are still a trusted source to get jobs in Finland, not just Helsinki as the name suggests.
- Rekrytointi: they describe themselves as a new meeting place for those looking for work, offering work and also offering training. These combined services make them a decent place to not just start but also develop your career.
- Duunitori: they offer a good amount of vacancies, the best job search tips, and even the most interesting job stories. Their vacancies extend to even summer jobs if that’s what you’re looking for.
- TipTopJob: an independent network that is flexible and adaptable to meet your requirements and needs.
Conclusion
For many of these jobs, learning the language will be more than just a means to bond with the locals. Copywriters, for instance, would need to learn to read and write in the local language, same goes for those that work as nurses or caregivers.
Finland has two official languages; Finnish and Swedish. Only 10% of the population have Swedish as their first language. There are some minority languages too, including Romani, Sami, etc.
With these, you should not have any issues integrating and finding a job in Finland.
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